Venezuela Begins Releasing Detained Americans In Move Welcomed By US

Venezuela has begun freeing several American citizens who were detained across the country, according to a US State Department official.

While the official did not disclose how many Americans have been released or their identities, the development was described as “an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.”

This marks the first reported release of US citizens since a US military operation on 3 January in Caracas that led to the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

According to the United Nations, only about 50 detainees have so far been released, out of more than 800 political prisoners that advocacy groups say remain in custody.

The interim Venezuelan government, led by Delcy Rodríguez, announced last week that it would begin releasing “a significant” number of political prisoners as a goodwill gesture. Those freed so far include domestic opposition figures and at least five Spanish nationals.

However, human rights organisations have criticised the slow pace of the releases. Earlier this week, the son of an imprisoned opposition leader urged US President Donald Trump “not be fooled” by the government’s promises.

On Monday, Venezuelan authorities claimed more than 100 prisoners had already been released an estimate higher than figures confirmed by the UN and rights groups, but still a small fraction of the total believed to be detained. That same day, the UN reiterated its concern over Venezuela’s “widespread and systematic use of arbitrary detention as a tool of repression.”

Families of those still imprisoned remain anxious, with many maintaining a vigil outside Caracas’s notorious El Helicoide prison.

The release of detainees with foreign citizenship on Tuesday is seen as a possible attempt by Rodríguez to improve relations with the international community, particularly the United States, even as much of the governing structure from Maduro’s era remains intact.

The move comes ahead of a scheduled White House visit on Thursday by opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who has been seeking international backing.

A source said that at least three Americans had been freed by Tuesday night.

US Senator Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, thanked Trump for pushing for the prisoners’ release, saying they had been “held captive by Maduro’s evil regime in Venezuela for too long.” He added, “Every single prisoner still held under Delcy Rodríguez should be released ASAP.”

Over the weekend, Trump said on Truth Social that the release process had begun “in a BIG WAY.” He also claimed he cancelled a second wave of airstrikes after learning that Caracas was cooperating.

These developments are widely seen as an early test of Trump’s influence in Venezuela following Maduro’s removal.

Human rights groups have long accused Venezuelan authorities of using detention to silence critics claims the government has repeatedly denied, insisting detainees were held for criminal offences. Many arrests followed the disputed 2024 presidential election, which the UN said lacked “basic transparency and integrity” and which the US rejected as illegitimate.

Previous releases of Americans held in Venezuela have typically involved prisoner swaps. Families of detainees say some were arrested while travelling privately.

The US continues to warn its citizens against travelling to Venezuela due to the risk of wrongful detention. Among those still believed to be imprisoned is 28-year-old James Luckey-Lange, whose aunt told The Washington Post that he “has no political ties to Venezuela at all” and was “just a kid that likes to travel.”